Week 1: Getting down to Business
Hello and welcome to the WEEK ONE Main Thread for this challenge! 
Alright everyone - this is the thread where we'll all be posting our daily updates.
Make sure you've read the rules before replying (<- click)
Twice a week between July 31st - August 7 I hope to be reading your daily updates in this very thread right here!
Here is this week's assignment!
1. Pick a piece you want to revisit!
2. Let us know how far you got with it, what is "unfinished" and what your goal is for this challenge!
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Chopin Op 22 Grand Polonaise Brillante
I tried learning this a couple of years ago and was able to "get through it" memorized when practicing on my own, but never close to tempo and it would always fall apart / I'd get too fatigued when trying to play it in my "adult learners" class. I also wasn't able to play it with the sparkle that drew me to the piece in the first place.
I have put a lot of focus on improving my technique (from working on Chopin Etudes), expressive agility (from working on Schumann Op 12) and endurance (from climbing
) since then. So I'm giving it another try. I do have a heavier action piano at home now though, so this should be interesting 
This week I'm reviewing slowly with the score and marking up the spots that I remember would trip me up so I can spend more time on them. Also updating some of the fingering that I'd previously used to make things easier but are less efficient. The left hand always sounded clunky, so I'm also spending more time practicing hands alone LH.
Happy this challenge is giving me motivation to revisit this piece!
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Vidhya Bashyam The Andante Spianato is so gorgeous... hehe I'm not sure about the Polonaise yet either, but we shall see!!
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Judy Kuan Great, what an incredible set of Chopin pieces in this challenge!
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Oh, I did something dumb: I had started learning the revised version of Rachmaninoff's 2nd Sonata before switching to the original 1913 version midway through only very recently. Turns out there are a LOT more notes in the original version, and I don't know how I'll manage to get it up to concert pitch in time for a performance next month (!).
This challenge gives me a welcome yet daunting goal: Memorize the sonata in its original version and get it up to speed and ready to go. This will be the death of me.
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Albert LOL! You'll do great!
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Chopin Rondo a la Mazur
Performed it informally before, but fast passages are still insecure and dropped it before it really felt solidified.
Goal: I need to revisit memorization for sure. And untangle the fast passages, trying to get that legato leggiero Chopin touch. Also, revisit the phrasings I had before, record myself a lot
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Madison Yan that will be lovely - I have absolutely adored that piece ever since I first listened to it on an early Daniil Trifonov recording! Can't wait to hear your performance.
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Madison Yan What a fabulous piece! You'll do a great job.
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Madison Yan Fabulous piece, indeed!
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Hello everyone! I will pick up Chopin Scherzo 2 again. Played it one year ago. One time I came through somehow.
My challenge is to have it in my mind and can focus on interpretation.
Lets play. I start to working on the more difficult parts first.
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Kerstin Great choice, Kerstin! It seems that several of us have many "unfinished business" with Chopin
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Juan Carlos Olite For sure - Ballade Nr. 4, Polonaise op 53 and lots of Etudes.
And there are pieces I have never started, because it looks unreal to play - Sonata Nr. 3. 
Lets continue. Always great to play Chopin.
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Good morning!
My goals are much more modest. I started to work on a few Chopin Etudes during Henry's amazing class but started having hand pain, so I stopped. This time, I'll take a look at the one he recommended for small hands, Op. 25 #2.
I've finally ordered a Stretto 5.5", which I'm pretty sure will fix my tendonitis for good (and let me learn more interesting pieces).
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Gail Starr that is so cool - I've never seen a Stretto keyboard and can't wait to hear (and see!!!) you play it. And 25/2 is a great piece; in the Mazurka TWI, Jarred Dunn explained how - if I understood it correctly - the 12 (3x4) against 3+3 rhythm is basically an example of written/spelled-out rubato. It still messes with my head, even just listening to it...
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Gail Starr I'm glad you were able to order a Stretto keyboard! I've seriuosly considered switching to learning harpsichord rather than piano. I could be quite happy playing Baroque music exclusively.
Looking forward to hearing your Chopin.
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Alexander Weymann Yes, I remember Jarred saying that but I’m not sure I really understand how to do it. Maybe I’ll figure it out? I just signed up to take occasional private lessons with him this Fall.
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Gail Starr I'm sure he'd be happy to elaborate if you messaged him, especially if you're about to study with him! He'll be pleased to hear that you're working on this piece.
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Michelle R I love harpsichords. I always wanted to build one when I was a kid, but my dad pointed out that there wasn't any room in the garage to build anything at all, and no one wanted to step over pieces in the living room for months. I am sure that a kit would be thousands of $$ more than they used to cost. And I STILL don't have a big garage or a basement....LOL!
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Gail Starr that's a great piece, all the etudes have some magic. Looking forward to hearing it!
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Gail Starr Very good choice, Gail!
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Gail Starr looking forward to follow your journey, Gail!
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Gail Starr looking forward to following your updates on this etude and also your stretto piano!
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I'm at the beginning of my piano journey, so I don't really have any "unfinished" pieces. But before I had to take a piano-break, I had just learned the G-Major Minuet in the Anna Magdalena Notebook. I'd like to use this challenge to learn how to play the repeats in a non-boring fashion.
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Michelle R great idea, Michelle!
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Michelle R Hello Michelle! It's great that you joined this month's challenge!
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Michelle R lovely to see you on this challenge, Michelle! Nice idea for the challenge.
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